Former Liberal cabinet minister and current Liberal finance critic John McCallum is not running for the leadership of his party, he said this morning, and will instead campaign on behalf of Michael Ignatieff. Here’s the statement his office released this morning:
As you know, for the past several weeks I have been giving serious consideration to seeking the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada. I have been consulting closely with family, friends and supporters. I have been listening intently to Liberals from across Canada. I want to thank all those who had the confidence to encourage me to throw my hat into the ring.
I undertook these explorations with the strong conviction that the next Liberal leader, whoever that person might be, must demonstrate the ability to do three things:
- communicate a progressive vision for the country based on core Liberal values;
- develop and communicate a compelling vision of how we can take Canada to the next level and
take on the world;- and devote particular energy to rebuilding the Liberal brand in Quebec.
It is and has been my belief that success in these areas offers the best hope for Canada and the best hope for Liberals to defeat the Conservatives in the next election. And that has to be the top priority, transcending any personal ambitions.
I have now concluded that Michael Ignatieff's vision for Canada is very close to my own and that he has the best chance of leading our party to victory in the next election.
Michael Ignatieff offers thoughtful and principled leadership. He has the ability to inspire all Canadians – francophones, anglophones, aboriginals and all those Canadians who have come here from every corner of the globe – with a new and exciting perspective of what our Canadian citizenship can mean. He has demonstrated both the capacity and commitment to rebuild Liberal support in Quebec. He can rally Canadians around a new vision of who we are, where we can go together, and how we can work to ensure a thriving, prosperous Canada at home and on the world stage.
I therefore wish to confirm that I will not be seeking the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada.
And I am proud to announce that I will be throwing all my energy and support behind the candidacy of my colleague, the Member of Parliament for Etobicoke-Lakeshore and the man who I am convinced will be the next Prime Minister of Canada, Michael Ignatieff.
Finally, I would like to express my sincere respect and best wishes to all those other friends and colleagues who are seeking the Liberal leadership.
Good news! Michael Ignatieff is a better candidate for a Liberal leader, who may very well be a future PM.
Even though I don't vote Liberal, I like them to have a good leader — something they haven't had for several years — given the tendency in Canada to elect Liberal governments. I.e., who wants a weak leader for our country.